Home For Christmas
by obliviousworlds
Summary: Sam's sick on christmas eve and while he doesn't mind Dean being with him, he'd rather have his dad home too. Dean/15 Sam/11. John's POV.


It's christmas eve day when Sam gets sick with an ear infection.

I'm getting ready to head out on a hunt for the next few days but I can't leave without saying goodbye to my boys. The place I've rented out for a few days is small, so they're sharing a room with two beds. It isn't much, but it's the best I could do at the moment.

Dean's still sound asleep when I walk over to his side and place a hand on his shoulder. I tuck the blanket around him tighter and whisper a "see you in a few days buddy" before walking over to where Sam's laying in the other bed.

"Bye, Sammy." I whisper and rest my hand on top of his shoulder like I did with Dean's. Sam's eyes flutter open at the touch, and it prevents me from leaving the room.

"What are you doing awake?" I ask and glance down at my watch before looking back down at my kid. His eyes are glazed over, and I notice his cheeks are flushed...

"Sam..." I place a hand on his forehead and frown at all the heat coming off of it. The kid has a fever.

"Feel bad." Sam says softly and sits up on his bed slowly.

"I see that." I say with a nod and pull him into my lap. "What's bothering you?"

Sam waits a minute before looking up at me and pulling at his right ear. I move his shaggy hair aside and take a look at how swollen and red his ear is. Definately an ear infection.

"You need a hair cut." I tell him and smooth his hair back down.

"No!" Sam says and puts his hands on top of his head. It makes me smile at how defensive he is over his hair.

"Well I think you've got an ear infection."

He slams his head down against my shoulder and sniffles into my shirt and it makes me a little uneasy. I should be leaving now and Sam isn't making that easy.

"Come on," I say and shift him a little in my arms. "Let's go see what's in the first aid kit."

He wraps his arms around my neck when I stand up with him still in my arms. I grunt at the extra weight, but it isn't too bad. When was the last time I even held one of my kids anyways? Far too long, if I remember right.

I set him down in the chair in the kitchen before going through one of the duffles for the first aid kit. Sam rests his head on the back of the chair and sighs.

"You should stay home."

The words slip out of his mouth and slam themselves in my brain as I search for the thermometer. I wanna tell Sam that there's nothing more that I wanna do than to stay home and take care of him and celebrate christmas with him and Dean like a normal family.

"Here, put this under your tounge." I say instead and slip the thermometer in his mouth. The hurt look on his face is enough to make me wince and feel like shit.

"Dad?"

I turn my head and nod at Dean as he walks in the kitchen rubbing his eyes; still half asleep.

"What are you still doing here?" He asks around a yawn before glancing down at Sam in the kitchen chair. "Sammy, you sick? Why didn't you wake me up?"

I turn my own glance down towards my youngest and take the thermometer out of his mouth. He doesn't answer his brother's question.

"101." I say and put the thing back in the first aid kit.

"It's okay dad." Dean says and moves past me to stand next to Sam. "I can take care of him."

"I have no doubt about that, Dean." I tell him and sigh at Sam's puppy dog eyes looking up at me.

_Be strong, John._

Dean seems to catch onto his brother's trick and he smirks a little. I want to slap him upside the head for it but I'm frozen in place on what the hell to do. Am I really gonna leave both of my boys on christmas eve, one of them being sick?

No, I think that's going a bit too far.

I give both of them a smile. "Alright, boys. I think your dad can hold off hunting for a few days."

It's really that simple. I can just call another hunter and ask them to take over the job for me. I don't do it much, god knows I hate doing it anyways, but I can spare this time to take care of my boys.

The way their faces light up - it's a priceless moment.

"But you, sicky." I say and point a finger down at Sam. "Are laying down the whole time until that ear infection is gone. Got it?"

The smile never leaves Sam's face as he nods. "Yeah, okay."

I make a quick run out to one of the local grocery stores, and by some miracle they're still open. I grab a few bottles of ginger ale and some soup and tylenol for Sam to ride out his sickness with. He thanks me when I make it back home, him and Dean both curled up on the couch flipping through the few t.v. channels we have.

"We have those christmas specials you like so much, Sammy." Dean says and sets the remote down after leaving it on the peanuts for his brother to watch.

"Here." I slip a few tylenol into Sam's hand before settling down into the middle of the couch between my boys. The flush of fever on Sam's cheeks is still present, but he looks happier than he did this morning.

Dean smirks over at me again before turning his gaze back at Sam. "Damn, Sammy. You should get sick more often."

I slap him across the head and smile. Sam's smiling with his eyes half closed and his head nodding down towards his chest. I watch until his breathing slowly evens out before placing a hand on his forehead.

" 's he alright?" Dean's asking with a worried tone.

I nod and remove my hand. "Just a little warm. He'll be fine."

"I think he's glad you stayed."

"He would have been fine with you, Dean."

"Yeah, but I'm not his dad."

I close my eyes and sigh. Dean's right. I'm his father and I don't act like it most of the time. Mary would be so dissapointed in me, but I can't not stop making the world a better place for my boys. I just...can't.

"Thanks, Dean." I say and pat his shoulder with a smile. "Better get to bed or Santa won't come." I tell him, laughing a little when he rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, right." He says and closes his eyes. "Not a kid, dad. Not expecting any presents."

"Never know." I add with a shrug.

Sam stretches out on the couch and blinks his eyes open a few times. I place a hand on his head to soothe him back to sleep, but he rubs at his eyes and mumbles something that neither me or Dean can make out.

"What, Sam?" Dean says and nudges his brother with his foot.

"Got best present..." Sam mumbles and looks up at me. "Dad's home..."

My heart swells and Dean smiles up at me while mouthing I told you so. This is one time I'm glad he's right and I pull the both of them closer to me as soon as they're down for the count. It's snowing a little outside and the t.v is still going with Frosty the Snowman on the screen and I've got my boys tucked up beside me. No, nothing beats this moment.

There's a pocket knife collection for Dean and some new books for Sam that I've got hidden in my room. I'm gonna have to get up soon and get them wrapped and ready for in the morning. But I can spare a little while longer.

"Yeah I'm here, boys." I say quietly. "And I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

_End._

_Merry Christmas! :)  
_


End file.
